“Get Out” Of Marketing

With art, a person’s emotional response to a piece does not determine its quality.

When someone looks at Edvard Munch’s famous painting The Scream it may conjure up feelings of horror, humor, joy, excitement, or even dread. Just because someone reacts one way (or in multiple ways) doesn’t make that person right or wrong, and it doesn’t make the painting good or bad. All art is inherently subjective.

All art, that is, except for Hollywood movies.

The Overnight Success of “Get Out”

In February of last year, Universal released “Get Out.” It was the directorial debut of Jordan Peele, half of the duo from Comedy Central’s “Key & Peele.” Initially, the movie was marketed as your typical, low-budget horror film—cheap scares, supernatural activity, and perhaps a murder or two. Prior to its release, few knew what to expect from a horror movie directed by someone so well known for his jokes, much less so his ability to scare.

What they got ended up being one of the highest-grossing films of the year, earning two Golden Globe nominations along with four nominations, including a win for Best Original Screenplay, in yesterday’s Academy Awards.

But there was an apparent problem with those accolades.

The Influence of the Golden Globes

While Universal marketed “Get Out” as a horror film, the Golden Globes actually categorized it as a comedy. Many considered that an insult to the movie’s depth. Others, meanwhile, thought it was more of a thriller that offered a fresh (and scary) look at current race relations in the U.S.

No matter how it was (or should’ve been) categorized, the movie was a hit at the box office and with critics. “Get Out” was one of the rare films that could evoke different emotions in different people.

All that matters now is how much of an impact this hypnotizing piece of film making will continue to have years down the road.